ingest a sacramental manduction wafer is an important part of lionise Catholic Mass , but what if the ingredients make your soundbox sick — no matter how diminished the amount ?
This is the issue face up by Catholics who have celiac disease and other type of gluten intolerance . Gluten is a of course occurring protein in wheat flour used to make communion wafers . While some people quest gluten - free pick , the Vatican late made it clear thatcommunion wafersmust check at least some gluten . But why ?
Ina lettersent to Catholic bishop from the Vatican in June , the church service reiterated principle that manduction wafer must be made strictly of wheat flour . wafer made from other type of flour — such as rice , potato or tapioca , which may not cause issue for multitude with gluten allergic reaction and intolerance — are banish . The sharing wafers , which are generally made from wheat flour , oil and salt , do not contain a leavening agent , like yeast , that would make the dough to rise .
What they do turn back , at least according to Catholic Christians , is the body of Jesus Christ . agree to the Catholic church , Jesus started the custom of Holy Communion , also bed as theEucharist , during the Last Supper with his disciples . It was his last repast before he was crucify and buy the farm . As the disciples go through wine and bread made with wheat , Jesus described these core as his blood and body . The Catholic faith hold that the communion wafer is not symbolic , but a literal ingestion of Christ ’s flesh through a orphic process called transmutation — and that the unraised bread must have wheat .
So what ’s aCeliacor gluten - raw Catholic to do ? A2003 policyissued by the Vatican does reserve for low - gluten wafers as long as they " moderate a sufficient amount of gluten to obtain the confection of bread " and there are specialbakerieswho offer these choice to Catholic churches .
